Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to an X-ray imaging apparatus and a control method which facilitate changing an imaging condition.
Description of the Related Art
It is sometimes necessary to correct examination information for imaging performed by an X-ray imaging apparatus as in the following cases: when the examination information sent from an RIS (Radiology Information System) lacks information required by the X-ray imaging apparatus or has an error; and when it is not possible to use the examination information received from the RIS without any change because of specification differences. For this reason, there has been proposed, in Japanese Patent Laid-Open Nos. 2001-275988 and 2003-248723 (to be referred to as patent literatures 1 and 2 hereinafter), a method of correcting examination information or adding information to it before transmission to an X-ray imaging apparatus by installing a patient/examination information input terminal between an RIS and the X-ray imaging apparatus.
In addition, when executing an X-ray examination, it is sometimes difficult to execute the examination in accordance with designated examination content depending on the state of an X-ray detector or the condition of an examination target patient. In such a case, the operator needs to correct the detector to be used for the examination and posture information. In this case, it is difficult for the operator to know an X-ray detector suitable for a change, and hence he/she may perform a change to an inappropriate X-ray detector (for example, a wireless X-ray detector with a small battery charge). In consideration of such a problem, Japanese Patent Laid-Open No. 2012-050620 (to be referred to as patent literature 3 hereinafter) has proposed a method of presenting a wireless X-ray detector suitable for an examination among a plurality of wireless X-ray detectors. There has also been disclosed a method of easily perform a change to a usable detector in a hospital including both a CR (Computed Radiography) and an FPD (Flat Panel Detector) when changing the detector to be used for imaging from the CR to the FPD or the other way around (see Japanese Patent Laid-Open No. 2012-100797 (to be referred to as patent literature 4 hereinafter)).
However, the method disclosed in patent literatures 1 and 2 is designed to correct examination information before transmission to the X-ray imaging apparatus, and hence cannot cope with a case in which the X-ray imaging apparatus needs to correct the examination information. For example, patent literatures 1 and 2 give no consideration to how to cope with a case in which the condition of a patient or the state of an X-ray detector differs from that assumed at the stage of execution of imaging on the X-ray imaging apparatus side. In addition, although the method disclosed in patent literatures 3 and 4 facilitates discriminating examination information to be corrected, it is necessary to perform change processing for each of all imaging conditions within an examination. As described above, patent literatures 1 to 4 give no consideration to a case in which it is necessary to change an imaging condition such as the X-ray detector or radiographic imaging table to be used for imaging after examination content is confirmed on the imaging apparatus side, for example, after examination information is received from an RIS or the like.